Start and stop mechanism



Mar. 20,- 1923.

c. F. STODDARD START AND STOP MECHANISM Filed Sept. 50, 1918 Patented Mar. 20,1923.

UNIT!) STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

CHARLES IE. STODDARD, OF -NEW YQRK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T AMERICAN" PIANO COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. A CORPORITTION OF NEW JERSEY.

START LAND s'ror MECHANISM.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLns F. STODDARD, a citizenof the United States ofAmerica, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in, Start and Stop Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates toa start and stop mechanism which may be used to advantage with a player piano. This application is a continuation in part of an earlier application filed by me on August 11, 191.4, Serial N 0. 856,266 and has to do with a portion of lathe apparatus disclosed ,insaid earlier application which may be used separately for a urpose about tobe described.

ith the development of automatic player pianos which are adapted to reproduce with remarkable accuracy the personal tempo and dynamic characteristics of musical compositions as rendered by skilled pianists, it is often desired to utilize these instruments, particularly for demonstration purposes, to reproduce one of the parts of musical compositions, for instance, concertos involving the use of a piano for the solo part. It often happens in a musical composition of the character generally selected for reproduction in this manner, that there are con siderable intervals when the automatic instrument is silent while the other part or parts continue. WVhile the instrument is playing it is possible for the accompanying musicians to synchronize their work with that of the piano; but'it is quite difiicult, if the note sheet of the piano is permitted to continue its movement without sounding notes, for the musicians to maintain proper synchronism with the piano when it resumes playing. If, therefore, means are provided for stopping the note sheet at the end of the solo part and for controlling the start of the note sheet when piano playing is to be re sumed, the accompanying musicians will have little difiiculty in properly synchronizing their work with that of the piano. Such means are disclosed in my earlier applica tion above referred to.

The accompanying drawings, in a single diagrammatic figure, illustrate-so much of the apparatus disclosed in the forementioned prior invention as is necessary to accomplish the object for which said invention is now used, thus illustrating'a prefer-redem- "so, 1918. Serial No. 256,323.

tracker bar 1 over which a note sheet 2 may be fed from a spool 3 to a take-up roll ,4. The tracker bar is provided with the usual vents leading to valve mechanism for the usualplayerv pneumatics. .Herein a single player pneumatic 5 is shown for purposes of illustration and there are like pneumatics. of the same construction for the remaining The player pneumatic 5 is adapted tobe conpinion 12 and gear 13 with the take-up roll so that as the wind motor is operated it will feed the note sheet across the tracker bar. The wind motor 11 may be connected with a suitable source of exhaust through a duct 14, valve mechanisms V and V and a duct 15, which is in direct communication with the source of exhaust. These valve mechanisms are connected with the tracker by ducts 81 and 82 and the former leading to valve mechanism V and the latter to valve mechanism V The duct 82 opens into a diaphragm chamber 85, the diaphragm of which operates a valve 86. The chamber 87 of the valve 86 is entered by a duct 88 and a second duct 89 shown in dotted lines. When the valve 86 rests in the position shown, that is, when the diaphragm chamber 85 is exhausted through a usual bleed while the tracker vent 72, connected with duct 82, is closed, there is through communication bet-ween ducts 88 and 89 with an? effect presently described. When, however, the tracker vent 72 is open, atmosphere is thereby admitted to the diaphragm chamber 85 and the valve 86 is lifted to close the mouth of the duct 88 and open communication between the duct 89 past the valve 86 to suction in chamber 90 which is'in constant communication with the source of exhaust through duct 15. Duct 88 is arranged to receive either atmosphere or suction from the chamber 90, according to the position of a valve 92 operated by the diaphragm of a chamber 93 which chamber is connected by a duct 95, with a controlling device later to be described.

The duct 89 connects the valve chamber 87 with a diaphragm chamber 100, the diaphragm o'l which operates a valve 102. The chamber 103 of the valve 102 closed to atmosphere and communicates with a duct 105. When the valve 102 is in the position shown, the chamber 103 and therefore the duct 105, and the duct 1% with which it connects, are open to chamber 90 so that the wind motor 11 is connected with exhaust and will operate to feed forward the note sheet 2. A spring 107 may be provided to assist in closing the valve 102 when exhaust is admitted to diaphragm chamber 100, and when valve 102 is closed neither atmosphere nor exhaust will be admitted to duct 105.

The parts, just described in connection with valve mechanism Y are duplicated in valve mechanism V and are correspondingly numbered with the exponent 1. It will therefore be seen that when both valves 102 and 102 are closed the wind motor 11 will be shut off entirely from exhaust and that when either one of these valves is open the wind motor will be connected with exhaust and operate to feed forward the note sheet.

The ducts 95 and 95 connect with a controlling device including a valve block 110 which contains a cylindrical rotatable valve 111 having an axial bore 112, open to atmosphere. A radial port 113 communicates with the axial bore 112. The duct 95 terminates in a port 11% in the valve block 110 while the duct 95 terminates in a port 115 in the same valve block. The valve 111 is fast to a pinion 117 which is engaged by a rack 11S upon a sliding shaft 119 which carries a depressible button 120 at its upper, end and is held normally in the position shown by a spring 121.

lVhen the radial port 113 registers with port 1L1 as shown atmosphere is admitted to duct 95 and through it to diaphragm chamber 93, thus causing valve 92 to assume a raised position as shown and admit atmosphere to the duct 88. If, at the same time, tracker vent 72 is closed and diaphragm chamber 85 exhausted through its bleed, valve 86 will remain in its lower position as shown and atmosphere will pass through ducts 8S and S9 to diaphragm chamber 100. thereby operating valve 102 to connect the wind motor with the source of exhaust. It tracker vent 72 is open atmosphere will be admitted to diaphragm chamber 85 and cut oil diaphragm chamber 100 from atmosphere so that valve 102 will drop, shut off the connection of the wind motor to exhaust and stop the wind motor. This will take place regardless of the position of the valve 92 as controlled through duct 95.

The same result will follow if the tracker duct 71 is open provided atmosphere is present in the duct 95' but preferably the duct 95 is closed to atmosphere during the forward movement of the note sheet.

The tracker vent 72 may be opened by a marginal perforation 75 in the note sheet and such a marginal perforation may be placed at any point where it is desired to stop the note sheet in its forward travel. Thereafter the note sheet may be started by the depression of the button 120 which will operate to open duct 95 to atmosphere, raise valve 92', admit atmosphere through ducts 88 and 89' to diaphragm chamber 100 and open valve 102, which places the wind motor in commuuication with exhaust. The closing of port 114 by the rotation of the valve 111 will cause 92 to drop but this will be without effect upon valve 102. As the note sheet moves forward the vent 72 will be closed and valve 86 will drop but this will be inefi'ective to change the position of valve 102 because the duct 88 is now connected with exhaust through valve 92. As soon as the note sheet is started the button 120 may be released and the valve 111 returned to its normal position by spring 121. This reverse rotation of the valve 111 will cut ofl atmosphere from duct 95 and valve 92 will drop. The return movement of the valve 111 will open duct 95 to atmosphere co-incidentall with the closing of port 115 and although valve 102' is closed by the reverse movement of the valve 111 valve 102 will be opened thus keeping the wind motor in communication with exhaust and insuring the continued forward feed of the note sheet.

The operation of the a paratus in its present application may be escribed as follows. Assuming that the instrument equipped with the above described mechanism is to be used in the production of a. concerto with an orchestra; the valve mechanism including valve block 110 may be placed upon the leaders stand. The proper note sheet may then be inserted in the instrument and the mechanism started. lt perforation 75 has been appropriately located slightly in advance of the first notes of the piano part of the. cou'| )osition, the forward feed of the note sheet will stop when this side perforation comes over the tracker bar and opens vent 72. The leader may then direct the orchestra through any introductory part of the composition. and when the proper time comes for the piano to take up its part he merely depresses the button 120 which will immediately start the wind motor and the playing of the piano part of the composispace of time when the piano is silent another side perforation may be made in the note sheet at, the appropriate place and the 7 forward feed of the note sheet stoppedj Thereafter it mayagain be started at the appropriate time as. before described.

It is to be understood that this invention 1 is not limited to the specific construction, organization, or mode of operation described herein for illustration. On the contrary, the invention may be variously embodied or thedescribed construction'may be variously modified within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pneumatically controlled machine comprising, in combination, pneumatic actions, a control sheet, a pneumatic motor for feeding the control sheet, auxiliary pneumatic means manually operated for starting the pneumatic'motor, and means governed by the control sheet for stopping said motor with disconnecting the same firomg the feeding mechanism 'for said sheeet.

2. A pneumatically controlled machine comprising, in combination, pneumatic actions, a perforated control sheet therefor, means for feeding the control sheet including a pneumatic motor,a progressively operating valve mechanism manually operated for starting the pneumatic motor, and means governed by the control sheet for stopping said motor without disconnecting the same from the feeding mechanism forsaid sheet.

3. A pneumatically controlled 'machine comprising, in combination, pneumatic actions, means for operating said actions selectively including a tracker bar having vents and a perforated control sheet to govern the opening and closing of said vents, a spool and take-up roll to feed the control sheet over th tracker bar, a pneumatic motor for driving the take-up roll, pneumatically operated valve means independent of saidv tracker bar to connect said motor to a source of exhaust for starting the motor, and means having connection with a tracker vent and governed by a perforation in the control sheet for disconnecting said motor from the source of exhaust to stop the motor said motor being maintained in connection with feeding mechanism for said sheet.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising, inv combination, a tracker bar provided with vents; means to feed a perforated sheet over said tracker bar includ ing a pneumatic motor, asource of power for operating said motor, valve mechanism controlling the connection of said motor with said source of power, means having connecs tion with said tracker and said valve mechanism operable by the perforated sheet to stop the motor, and additional means having a pneumatic connection with said valve mechanism and operable independently I of said tracker controlled means to start said motor.

5. A pneumatically comprising in combination a pneumaticmotor, a control sheet fed by said motor and. provided with openings for operating mechanisms forstopping said motor, player ac tions controlled by other openings in said sheet, and a remotely positioned auxiliary pneumatic valve manuallyoperated for 'controlling the starting mechanism of said pneumatic motor.

6. A pneumatically controlled machine tracker bar by a Wind motor having connection with one of two rolls upon which theperforated sheet is wound,.the said mechanism comprising valve mechanism opera controlled machine A i tively interposed between the wind motor and a source of exhaust, a connection from said valve mechansm to a vent in the tracker bar whereby the opening of saidvent by a perforation in the sheet will operate said valve mechanism to stop said wind motor, and a manually operable valve entirely apart from said perforated sheet and tracker bar and having pneumatic connection with said valve mechanism whereby the latter may be operated to start said wind motor.

8. A start and stop mechanism for a pneumatically. governed machine having a plurality of motor neumatics selectively controlled'b'y a per orated sheet driven over a tracker bar by a wind motor having connection with one of two rolls upon which the a perforated sheet is wound, the said mechanism comprising two independently operable valves interposed between said wind motor and a source of exhaust, means operatively connecting one of said valves with a. vent in the tracker bar and operable by a perforation in the perforated sheet to stop said wind motor, and means entirely apart from the sheet and tracker bar and pneumatically connected to the other said valve for operating the same to start said wind motor.

9. A start and stop mechanism for a pneumatically governed machine'having a plurality. of motor pneumatics selectively controlled by a perforated sheet driven over a tracker bar by a wind motor having connecsaid valve and stop the wind motor, and 11 tion with one of two rolls upon which the remotely located means having a pneumatic perforated sheet is wound, the said mechaconnection with the normally closed valve nism comprising two independently operable whereby the operation of said means will 5 valves interposed between said wind motor operateto open said valve and start the and a source of exhaust, one being normally wind motor. i open and one being normally closed, means In testimony whereof, I have signed my connecting the former with a vent in the name to this specification this 28th day of tracker bar whereby the registration of a September, 1918. f 1 perforation therewith will operate to close H CHARLES F. STODDARD. 

